Shiroi Hana to Baka Neko
by Yumi Hojima
Summary: (After series ended) Always wondered, "If Akito is the core of the zodiac, then why doesn't Kyo have a seperate core" ..No? Well i did. Looking at some YT
1. Prologue: Nigeteiru Onna

**A/N**: Welcome to Shiroi Hana to Baka Neko! I am your authoress, Yumi Hojima! For you who don't speak Japanese, the title means White Blossoms and Stupid Cats. And as for the name, it's only a style name, not my real one. --;; I hate my name..>.> So anyways! **I have to fill you in on some things so read this part carefully**:

I always wondered "If Akito is the core of the zodiac, then who is the core of our poor Kyo??" So, I made him a core. It's a girl, and she shares my style name because I had none better. So sue me. No, really don't. Please? ;; I understand some people hate the association of made-up characters into fics. **Please I don't like flames,I do however want as much constructive criticism as possible.** I always like to make my stories as good as possible and a little help or suggestions from you guys is the greatest!

This fic is dedicated to the person who made me write it, Linny-chan.

:: **I don't** cries **own Fruits Basket!** ::

That said, I really hope you enjoy the prologue of Shiroi Hana to Baka Neko! snuggles Kyo plushie

Prologue: Nigeteiru Onna

4:00 am

Tick, tick, tick…

She rolled over once more, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. She tried to remember how she got to be where she was at this point in time. She wondered if the thought would ever return to her. She snuggled under her covers, suddenly cold.

Tick, tick, tick…

The image of his face suddenly appeared in her head. She shivered unintentionally trying to dispel the thought. The image remained; however, obscuring anything else she tried to think of. 'Why can't I get rid of him?' she thought, rolling over again. She buried her face in her pillow and tried her best to go back to sleep.

Tick, tick, tick…

The truth was she couldn't and his face just bothered her to no end. She punched her pillow, trying to take some of her anger out. A flurry of feathers just made her angrier. 'Dammit!', she thought her figure now covered in a multitude of fluff, 'Tomorrow is New Year's! I need to hold out until then! I'll beat his face into the ground tomorrow so then maybe his face won't be so fucking evil. ARGH!'

Tick, tick, tick…

She threw the ruined pillow away from her futon and ran to the closet to get a new one. Once safe and snug in her bed again, she tried thinking of punching the face in, which helped her to fall into a stressful slumber.

Tick, tick, tick…

RING, RING, RING!!

Groggily, she got out of bed and looked at the time. "8 AM already???! I'm gonna be late!!!!" she cried as she dashed to her closet. She flung the doors open, causing one to fall off but her paranoia made her overlook it. She pickled clothes up and flung them over her shoulder until she came to a large black sweater. She sniffed it cautiously, not remembering if it was hers or not and recoiled at the smell. It all came back to her like a blow to the head. It was his scent, she was sure of it. She held the sweater between her thumb and forefinger and, wrinkling her nose in disgust, threw the sweater out the window. She grabbed a sweater, a random skirt, some knee-high socks and ran to the bathroom, comb in hand.

Once ready to go, she slid gracefully down the banister and flew through the hallway, grabbing some money off a table by her door. She slammed the door open to reveal the cold, heartless, sunny morning. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. Then, almost god-like, she ran down the porch and through the woods, dodging trees and miscellaneous shrubs. She flew like this for a good few minutes until she emerged from the "forest" and onto a street.

The beeping of a car horn and screams of profanity caused to her to look behind her at a car that was going to run her over. For a second, she was rooted to the spot in confusion but soon regained her senses and in a flash, she jumped onto the hood of the car which came to a screeching halt exactly where she had been standing a second ago. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING STANDING OUT IN THE ROAD LIKE THAT?? YOU'RE LUCKY I FUCKING STOPPED OR YOU WOULDA BEEN ONE DEAD-" the man behind the wheel started yelling, but stopped when he saw her on the hood of his car. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET ON TOP OF MY CAR??" he screamed at her. "You. You are attracting unwanted attention. Keep your questions to your damn self and get back in your fucking sports car. Hit an old lady for me on the way, will ya?" she said winking. The man stood dumbfounded at the girl as she nimbly jumped off his car and walked down the street. "What the hell...?" he mumbled to himself.

The girl looked at her watch every-other second to make sure she would get there on time. "If that man makes me late then I will rip his head off." she grumbled to herself. She sighed before checking her watch for the 20 millionth time. "DAMMIT! THEY'LL BE STARTING THE DECORATING NOW!" she cried as she flew down the sidewalk, innocent bystanders gaping at the outburst.

She slowed down as she reached the large main house, walking through the archway slowly and cautiously. Seeing the coast was clear, she scurried on to the front entrance of the house past some randomly placed Japanese gardens that seemed plain and ordinary compared to the elaborate house. She slid the door open slowly making sure no one was wandering the halls of the main house upon her arrival. As was her luck, no one was there; therefore, she cautiously made her way down the halls, listening intently for any noise. She walked down several hallways until she reached his door. She slid it open slowly, almost dramatically building tension that really wasn't necessary.

"Hojima-san. Just open the door, I know you're there." a voice said from inside the room. "Aw you ruin everything! I was just building dramatic tension!" she replied opening the door and walking inside. "You haven't aged a day since last I saw you, you baka neko." he said, sitting down, his back towards her. "Only mentally! And even so, I'm not a baka neko. You're just jealous." she retorted sticking out her tongue to his back.

"Hojima. Stop pissing me off before I attack you."  
"Tee hee! But it's so much funnn!"  
"Hojima. Shut. Up."  
"Make meeee!"  
"Shut UP."  
"Teeee heeeee!"  
"SHUT UP."  
"Now, now! Anger management! I thought we had this conversation last year!!"  
"HOJIMA, YOU BAKA, BAKA NEKO! SHUT UP!"

With that, he jumped up and turned around to face her, fists raised, a very angry look on his face. "My, my. What a temper. Akito-san you really have lost control. Do try to lose that attitude." she said wagging her finger in front of his face. It took all of Akito's might to stop himself from lunging at the girl. But he didn't lunge for he remembered years before, when that baka neko provoked him enough to attack her. It hadn't ended well then. She always seemed to beat him no matter what. For a neko, she was sure strong. And Akito in his weak state couldn't land a punch on a girl who could swat him aside faster than the punch could be thrown. The sight of her digging through her purse snapped him back to reality. He ran his hand through his hair and asked, "What the hell are you doing now, Yumi-san?" Yumi looked up from her hunting and smirked an evil I'm-planning-something-and-you-have-no-clue smirk. She took her hand out of her bag and tossed a handful of glitter at Akito. "You always looked better in glitter!" she giggled playfully as she started skipping out the door. "BAKA NEKO! GET BACK HERE BEFORE I HAVE HATORI COLLAR YOU!"

Yumi froze at his words and turned around slowly, still in mid-skip. "What are you babbling about now? You know you can't collar me." she said, her face losing all of the innocent evilness it had just a moment before. Akito was used to her sudden change in personality, but was kind of taken aback at the venom in her words. He smirked casually and walked over to her, a glittery trail following behind him. She quirked an eyebrow, obviously confused at his lack of temper loss and left her mid skip to turn and face him completely. He put a cold hand on her cheek and whispered, "Baka neko, Don't you remember? When you were so little. I collared you then and I can collar you now. Don't underestimate me, Yumi. I may be weaker than you, but I am the core of the zodiac. I am the head of the Sohma family. I rule over everything here and I can have all of the members jump you like that." To emphasize, he snapped his fingers. Yumi narrowed her eyes and retorted, "I was young and stupid. I'm not so young anymore and if I remember correctly, it took you, Hatori and Shigure to hold me down. Don't underestimate me." He smirked again and leaned in to her face, whispering in her ear, "I don't care if it took three of us. The point is we collared you and I am fully prepared to do that again." He backed away from her and walked back to his garden, leaving her to stand there.

"Hatori!" Akito called. Hatori emerged into the room and replied, "Yes, Akito-san? You called?" Akito didn't even turn around but said, "Now." Hatori averted his gaze to Yumi and sighed, "Yes, Akito-san." Yumi looked quickly from Akito to Hatori and back again before bolting past Hatori and down the hall. "Well? What are you waiting for? Chase her and collar her." Akito said, looking to Hatori from the corner of his eye. Hatori answered by running out of the room and towards the sprinting figure of Yumi.

"This might be a fun New Year's after all." With a quick smirk, Akito sat down outside and caught a butterfly by the wings, his smirk turning into a grin.

And so ends the prologue! Hope you enjoyed it!

Note regarding:  
**Nigeteiru Onna: **Means "A Girl on the Run"  
**baka neko**: For those of you who didn't bother to read the author's note in the beginning, baka neko means "stupid cat". I'll get to why he calls her that later.  
**-san**: For those who don't understand this, "-san" means "Ms, Miss, Mr, Mrs" It's used between adults and children to adults and people who don't know each other.

please review! I love some good constructive criticism! (Regarding my use of Japanese: I won't use it much, and I'm not very good at it...brings out English/Japanese dictionary --;; I use a more textbook version so if you find more commonly used Japanese please inform me!)


	2. Chapter 1: The Trouble with a New Year's...

Aiya! I'm sorry for the delay…It seems that school was a fat pain and to top it off my mom grounded me during winter vacation. ::sigh:: I also have had so much vacation homework its been nearly impossible to finish this. And I had so hoped to have a least three other chapters up by the end of vacation. ::cries:: Ah well, as promised the long awaited first chapter!

::I don't own Fruits Basket!!:: ::tear tear::

Chapter 1: The Trouble with a New Year's Promise

_Hey everyone! Tohru Honda here just in time for another New Year's! This year, even I was asked to go to the celebration. Call me crazy, but I think my last encounter with Akito had some sort of impact on him. Anyway, life here at the Sohma house has been so great! I'm so grateful that I could spend time here. Huh? You're oblivious as to what's going on here? That's okay, I'll fill you in!_

_A little over a year ago, my mom passed away. When she died, I moved in with my grandpa. He lived on pension at the time do I promised to pay for my own tuition and stuff. I figure, I'm going to have to work for myself sooner or later, so why not sooner? Grandpa remodeled the house so that his daughter's family could move in. Grandpa told me to live with some friends but I didn't want to burden my friends Uo-chan or Hana-chan so I got myself a tent and slept outdoors. One day, I stumbled upon the Sohma residence, home to my school's "Prince" Yuki. In return for shelter, I do all the housework. A pretty good bargain dontcha think? This lovely set-up was threatened to end one day when I accidentally hugged Kyo Sohma and he transformed into a cat! You see, the vengeful spirits of the Chinese zodiac possess the Sohmas. I only live with three of the possessed Sohmas. Yuki is the rat, Shigure is the dog, and Kyo is the cat (Although technically the cat isn't part of the zodiac)! There, I hope I've gotten you up to speed!_

"Tohru-kuuun! Would you please make me some tea?" Shigure asked, sitting down at the table. "Sure!" Tohru replied cheerily, skipping into the kitchen. A large Thump! from upstairs made Shigure look up from his morning paper. Cries of "Damn nezumi!" and "Baka neko!" could be heard. "It's going to be a long New Year's…" Shigure said sighing.

A huge crash could be heard coming from upstairs followed by the appearance of Yuki, who walked into the room and took his seat. "Good morning, Sohma-kun!" Tohru said, walking into the room with a tray full of tea. "Morning, Tohru-kun." Yuki replied smiling. Tohru began serving tea when she asked, "Ano…Where's Kyo-kun?" Shigure looked up from his paper to stare at Yuki. "He had an accident. He should live though, unfortunately." Yuki told her. "Oh my! Are you sure he's okay? What happened to him? Was it that crash I heard from upstairs? Did you see what happened? I hope he's okay!" Tohru said, frantically pacing the room.

"I'd be fine," Kyo said walking into the room, "If that damn nezumi would just leave me alone." Tohru breathed a sigh of relief and set some tea down for Kyo. "Maybe if some baka neko would just admit he was wrong then he wouldn't get beat up everyday." Yuki muttered calmly. "What was that?! I didn't quite catch that ya damn nezumi!" Kyo yelled, getting angrier by the second. "I said, if some baka neko would just admit to being wrong, he wouldn't get hurt all the time." Yuki said a little more loudly. Kyo stood up and raised his fists saying, "You damn nezumi! I'll take you on right now and I'll win! I'm sure I'll win this time!" Shigure put his paper down and said, " Now Kyo, today is New Year's. Why don't you try to be nice to Yuki and maybe Yuki can try to be nice to you. For one day at least." Both Kyo and Yuki glared at Shigure and said, "You must be out of your mind." Yuki added, "I could never be nice to a baka neko like him."

Kyo slammed his fist against the table in anger causing his teacup to fall over and shatter. "Oh my! Oh no! Don't worry! I'll clean it up! It's okay!" Tohru said running over to the dropped teacup and starting to pick up the pieces. A hand stopped her. "Honda-san, There's really no need. It's Kyo's fault he dropped the cup and so it's Kyo's responsibility to pick it up." Yuki said. "Oh no! Really! It's alright! I don't mind!" Tohru replied, frantically waving her hands.

"Why the hell do you have to be so nice all the time. I'll pick the damn pieces up, just drink your tea." Kyo said annoyed, as he bent down to pick up the pieces. "Oh! Well! Thanks, Kyo-kun. Heheheh…" Tohru said cheerily, sitting back down to her tea. Shigure cleared his throat and said, "So Tohru-kun, you excited about going to the New Year's celebration?" Tohru blinked confusedly. "That's right! I'm going too!" she exclaimed happily. Shigure smiled saying, "Now our Kyo-kun won't have to be by himself while the banquet ensues."

Kyo twitched irritably as he stood up and went to throw the shards of the teacup away. "Not like I'm alone. There are loads of other people there anyways." Kyo muttered. "That is somewhat true, Kyo, but you do distance yourself from them quite a bit." Shigure replied. "Feh. Whatever." Kyo grumbled walking towards the door. "Wouldn't you like some breakfast before you go out somewhere, Kyo?" Tohru asked concerned. "Not hungry! I mean…No thanks, Tohru-kun…I'm not that hungry." Kyo said turning slightly pink. In the background Shigure smiled evilly.

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"Ohmigosh, Tohru-kun, you're going to have so much fun! You'll get to see the whole family and I'm sure Momiji will be so happy to see you again!" Shigure said happily to Tohru. Trailing behind Tohru and Shigure were Kyo and Yuki who were both glaring at each other while walking. "Don't cause problems today, Kyo." Yuki said vehemently. "Feh. Just as long as I don't have to see you're damn nezumi face for too long." Kyo grumbled back. "Another thing. Don't cause problems for Tohru-kun either. Or else you'll regret being born." Yuki growled. Shigure turned around to look at Yuki, smiling evilly. "Is wittle Yuki-kun getting jealous that he won't be alone with Tohru-kun?!" Shigure said mockingly. Yuki became flustered saying, "No! I am not! I just don't want Kyo annoying her!" Shigure kept smiling evilly as he turned around.

"We're here!!!" Shigure giggled gleefully as they walked through the main gate. "Wow! It's so pretty!" Tohru said. "I know you'll enjoy yourself!" Shigure said dragging Tohru into the main house by the hand.

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Tohru stayed close to Shigure, Kyo and Yuki because her nervousness made her cling to the only people she knew. They introduced her to people and treated her like a princess. '_Oh this is all too much, mom! I feel like a royal person at a ball or something. I'm so nervous too. There are so many people I don't know and I feel like I'm clinging too much to Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun and Shigure-san. Ehh…What to do, what to do…' _Tohru thought, mentally punching herself for her lack of courage. She wracked her brain trying to think of things her mother would have said. She remembered her mother had said, '_Be yourself, Tohru. Work at your own pace._' Then another thought popped into her head, '_Just be yourself. You'll fit right in…_' Remembering the way Yuki-kun had smiled at her while saying that made her blush crimson.

"Honda-san, are you alright? You look feverish." Yuki said said looking concerned. "Huh? Wha? Oh no! No! I'm fine, really! I just slipped into a daydream, heh heh heh…" Tohru replied blushing more. Yuki smiled and asked, "Are you sure you'll be alright with just Kyo? I'll skip the banquet if you want."

"Oh no! You shouldn't do that!! It's alright! Go to the banquet. Kyo and I will be just fine." Tohru said smiling sweetly. Yuki blushed and smiled back saying, "Okay. If that neko gets on you're nerves, just come and ask for me." Tohru nodded and smiled.

All of the happy chatter dissolved causing Tohru to look around surprised. The whole room's attention was focused on two people who had just walked in, a woman and what looked like her daughter. The younger girl had long deep brown hair that cascaded down her back and deep chocolate eyes that took in her surroundings. She was wearing a horizontally striped sweater that was falling off one of her shoulders, a short black skirt, a pair of grey knee-high socks and some sneakers. The older woman looked much like the younger one except that the older woman had some laugh lines and was dressed far fancier. The older woman distanced herself from the younger one, head drooping in shame. "Ah, Hojima-chan. So lovely to see you again." Shigure said walking over to the younger girl and vigorously shaking her hand. "And Hojima-san," Shigure said bowing to the older woman, "It is also a pleasure to see you. You are looking well." The older woman smiled warmly and replied, "Lovely to see you too Shigure-chan."

"You're looking well Shigure-san!" the younger Hojima said patting Shigure on the back. "Ow, Yumi-chan that hurts," Shigure said rubbing his back, "It seems you haven't lost any of your energy." Yumi smiled an it's-a-pity-I-have-to-be-here smile. "Indeed I haven't. Now where's my Kyo-neko?" she asked looking around.

"Shigure! Grab her!" Hatori said, separating himself from the crowd. "Wha? What's wrong Hatori?" Shigure asked looking confused. The whole crowd watched in silence as Hatori replied, "Akito wants her collared! Now!" There were a few scattered murmurs and some gasps. "Collared? What does Hatori mean, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked Kyo. "Just watch." Kyo said.

Hatori took a silver bracelet out of his pocket and walked towards Yumi. "Make this easy on yourself and put the bracelet on." Hatori said softly. "Over my dead damned body!" Yumi said angrily, backing away from Hatori. "Please, Yumi-chan, make his easy for us. You know Akito's word is law." Shigure said pleadingly. "Not again!" Yumi yelled turning around and running. "Please Yumi, it's really for the best…" Yumi's mom said blocking the doorway. Yumi didn't reply, instead she pushed her mother aside and ran down the hall.

"Kyo! Go and get her back!" Shigure said. Kyo sat down and glared saying, "Get her yourself, you lazy ass. She ain't my problem and I sure as hell ain't responsible for her." The room went silent once again, but soon it was filled with the muttering and whispering of the Sohmas. Tohru looked all around the room. '_Why are these people so intent on "collaring" Hojima-san? What _is _this collaring anyway?_' she thought frantically searching her mind for some answers. Her brain soon revealed images of a girl with a dog collar on and the leash in the hands of the owner. She sighed at her own stupidity. "Shigure-san," Tohru said as she walked over to him, "What is this collaring you've been talking about?"

Shigure looked at her sympathetically and smiled. "'Collaring' has nothing to do with putting a collar around someone's neck and attaching them to leash, if that's what you've been thinking. It's actually a form of restraint. You see, Hatori's power over mind can affect inanimate objects as well. By putting the bracelet on Yumi-chan, Hatori can control the bracelet and turn it into something that limits her ability to fight. It's like putting a 20-pound weight on her wrist. Except in Yumi's case you need more than a 20-pound weight to slow her down…" Shigure said snickering at his own joke. "But that's so terrible!" Tohru exclaimed, pity mixed with worry in her voice. "No worries, Tohru-kun. The bracelet doesn't hurt Yumi-chan and besides, she is a martial artist. The girl practices with weights every day." Shigure said. "Why do they collar Yumi-san?" Tohru asked. "Because quite frankly, Akito is afraid that Yumi-chan will hurt him. You know how it is with Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun-they fight all the time. Well it seems the same for Yumi-chan and Akito. It's the cat and rat all over again. Except this time, Yumi-chan is the one who's stronger." He replied smirking.

Hatori was the one to break the silence that followed. "What the hell are we all doing standing here? Anyone who's man enough to try to catch Hojima-chan can come with me." He said walking towards the door. "Oh! Pick me, Ha'ri-chan! Pick me!" Momiji squealed, happily skipping along after Hatori. Some of the other Sohmas went after Hatori as silence filled the room again. "Eh…Isn't it about time for the banquet?" Shigure said trying desperately to change the subject. "What about Hatori and the others? You saw how Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Momiji went after Hatori." Kyo said looking annoyed.

Someone in the background spoke up saying, "If we didn't have the Cat, none of this would have happened." Another added, "And such a pitiful girl too. I mean she _is_ only half Sohma. What a disgrace." Tohru looked at Yumi's mother who had her head bent in shame. Tohru was about to cry. She really hated it when people were mean, when they teased other people about their family and friends. It reminded her of when she was young and the children in her class used to call her names and push her around. Tohru fought back a sob and did the only thing she thought would help. So, she went over and hugged Yumi's mom.

The chatter that had started again from the crowd stopped. Tohru smiled warmly at Yumi's mother. "I feel so bad. You're feelings must really be hurt. Please don't let it upset you…" Tohru said. Yumi's mother returned the smile, saying, "Thank you dear. I don't think we've ever met though. I'm Miharu Hojima." Miharu stuck out her hand. "You're right, we've never met because I'm technically not a Sohma. I'm Tohru Honda! It's really nice to meet you too!" Tohru said, taking Mrs. Hojima's hand and shaking it.

A loud crash caused everyone to look at the door again. Yumi emerged in the door, bleeding at the lip and panting slightly. "Yumi-chan! You're bleeding!" her mother exclaimed. "Damn straight, mom! I tripped! Curse that uneven floorboard!" Yumi said a comic look on her face. '_She really doesn't seem too upset about this collaring business. In fact she looks sorta happy._' Tohru thought to herself.

**CRASH!** Yumi hit the floor as Hatori, Hatsuharu, Yuki, Shigure, and (now magically appearing!) Ayame tried to hold her down. "Aw dammit! Why the hell do you listen to Akito anyways! Get off me ya bastards!" Yumi cried struggling. Yuki and Ayame each held an arm while Shigure and Hatsuharu sat on her legs. Momiji skipped gleefully in the room and joined Hatori on Yumi's back. "Isn't she going to get hurt??!!" Tohru cried frantically. "No, dear, don't worry. Yumi's fine. She's probably just really annoyed. But it truly is for the best…" Miharu said sadly. "DONE!" Hatori yelled as he jumped off of Yumi. Hatsuharu, Shigure, Momiji, Ayame, and Yuki all got off Yumi and backed away slowly.

"DAMMIT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE???!!!!" Yumi exclaimed jumping up and brushing herself off. She shook her wrist experimentally, looking for a clasp to get the bracelet off. When she found it, she tugged at it but to no avail. "Dammit, Hatori!! How in hell did you get this on me in the first place??!!" she yelled. Hatori ignored her and followed the rest of the zodiac out to the delayed banquet.

Once they were gone, Tohru looked at the girl strangely. When Yumi had yelled, she didn't look angry; in fact, she looked almost happy. "Excuse me, Hojima-san, but shouldn't you be a little more angry that this bracelet is going to restrict you?" Tohru asked timidly. Yumi blinked and looked at Tohru saying, "Have we met?" Tohru's cheeks heated from embarrassment before she replied, "No, I'm afraid we haven't. But that's okay! I'm Tohru Honda and I'm a friend of the Sohmas!" Yumi quirked an eyebrow and smiled at Tohru. "Nice to meetcha. I'm Yumi Hojima, but I assume you already know that. As for your question, it really doesn't bother me. Hatori-chan is kind enough to make sure the collar isn't a problem for me. He usually only annoys me with the bracelet when he makes it heavier-and then it's usually only because Akito told him to." Yumi said smiling.

"He can make it heavier??" Tohru said. "Yep. He uses those mind powers of his and the object gets heavier. If you see my wrist on the floor and me struggling to get up, that's when it's heavy." Yumi said, adding, "It's really just Akito that ticks me off. I mean, I think he's just jealous that I'm healthy and happy and he's not. But that's his damn fault. Maybe if he acted happier he'd feel better."

"Anyway, which Sohmas do you know, Honda-san?" Yumi asked. "I know all of them but I live with Kyo, Shigure and Yuki. They're so nice to me!" Tohru replied happily. "Really! And you know about the curse to, huh? That's good. I'm Kyo-neko's core. You live with Shii-chan and Nezumi-kun, too? That's so cute! I hope they don't try anything. I mean Nezumi-kun and Kyo-neko I'm not worried about. It's just that pervert Shigure. I do love him so, but he can be such a lech at times." Yumi said. Tohru sweat dropped and said, "Don't worry, they haven't tried anything. Ano…Yumi-chan why do you call Kyo-kun 'Kyo-neko'. And who is 'Nezumi-kun'?" Yumi laughed nonchalantly and replied, "I'm sorry, you've never met me before so I suppose you're not used to my nicknames. I call Kyo 'Kyo-neko' because it's just a nickname he picked up when we were kids. I guess I thought because he was the Cat that he was _actually_ a cat. Nezumi-kun is Yuki. When we were little, I wasn't allowed near the zodiac members until the New Year's. So naturally, I didn't know Yuki's name and just referred to him as Nezumi-kun. I guess it just stuck! Nezumi-kun doesn't mind much. Speaking of my Kyo-neko, where might he be??!" With that Yumi started searching around the room.

"Found ya!" she exclaimed as she pulled Kyo out from under a table. "Dammit!!! Why can't you just leave me alone??" Kyo yelled frantically trying to get away from Yumi, who held onto his shirt. "Now, now, Kyo-neko. It's been a whole year since I've seen you! I thought maybe you'd be happy or something." Yumi said wagging her finger in his face. "Who the hell would want to see you, you psycho!! And don't call me Kyo-neko! It's stupid!" Kyo yelled, embarrassed that Tohru had heard the name he so hated to be called by. "No worries, Kyo-NEKO! I'll try not to say your nickname too loud, Kyo-NEKO! Haha! So how's your training going, Kyo-NEKO? Have you beat Nezumi-kun yet, Kyo-NEKO?" Yumi said laughing. "YUMI-CHAN!!! Stop it!! Leave me the hell alone! Go bother Akito!!" Kyo screamed turning redder by the second. Yumi let go of Kyo to ponder his last statement. "Hmm…That's right, I haven't seen Akito all day…Well if you don't count this morning…" she said to herself. Yumi's face turned into one of pure cute evilness as she marched out of the room, most likely to find Akito and bother him.

"……Don't listen to her, Tohru-kun. I hate being called Kyo-neko. It sounds really childish. Don't tell anyone okay? I had to bribe Yuki not to…" Kyo said, completely crimson. Tohru smiled sweetly saying, "Don't worry Kyo-kun. I won't tell anyone." Kyo looked up at her smiling face and blushed even more (as if he weren't red enough!). "Whatever. It's not like I care about being made fun of. It's just it's a stupid name and stuff so don't get the wrong idea or anything." Kyo grumbled. "Don't worry Kyo-kun. I understand." Tohru said.

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Yumi strolled down the halls casually making her way towards Akito's room. Someone had told her that he wasn't at the banquet because he wasn't feeling well. Yumi's reaction to that-Wasn't he _always_ not feeling well? Yumi rolled her eyes. '_I bet he just doesn't want to deal with me._' she thought. She walked to Akito's room and slowly opened the door, to make sure he wasn't sleeping. To her dismay, he was in fact sleeping with his back facing the door. "I wanted to annoy him!" she whispered.

"It seems you've succeeded in doing so. Why do you have to be so loud, Yumi?" Akito said sitting up. "So you were awake! Hey lookie! Seems your little Operation Collar Yumi-chan was successful." Yumi said shaking her bracelet in his face. "Good I'm glad. When the banquet's over, I'm going to call Hatori and have him make that bracelet weight a ton." Akito said vehemently. "Feh. I'll be gone by then. And I'll probably have it off." Yumi replied smiling. "Leave me alone, Yumi. I don't feel well." Akito said, the anger evident in his voice. "Aw calm down. I mean this really is nothing new. You always feel sick." She said the evil innocence emerging again. "Well as long as you're wearing that bracelet, I'll make you feel just as bad as me." Akito said, turning his back to her so that he didn't have to see her face. "I will get this bracelet off and then I will beat you. I will avenge my father's death. That's my New Year's promise." Yumi said softly. "Don't make promises you know you can't keep." Akito retorted back at her. "I will keep these promises." She said turning to walk away. "You can keep them. But I'm not so sure they're going to come true." Akito said, as Yumi slammed the door shut.

And there you have it! Chapter One! Again I apologize greatly for not updating soon enough…::beats self up:: Well I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to Shadow In Darkness, black hearted kid, and Galasriniel for reviewing! ::hands out chibi Tohru cookies::

Notes regarding:

**Nezumi**: It's Japanese for "Rat"…I think. If not…tell me.

**Baka**: It mean's "stupid", "idiot", "moron"…you get it.

**Neko**: It means "Cat".

**Ano:** Means "Um…"

**Kyo-neko**: I wanted it translated as 'Kyo-kitty' But I don't know the Japanese word for 'kitty' so I just used cat. Kyo-cat is fine too, just not as cute…;;

**Nezumi-kun**: Just how Yumi-chan refers to Yuki-kun. ;; I thought it sounded cute!

Until next time!

-Yumi Hojima


	3. Chapter 2: Of Cats and Rats

:Sigh: Yumi Hojima here, after the long wait..:Cries: AH! Midterms, semi finals, call 'em whatever you want…they're EVIL.

Galasriniel: Of course you can use 'Kyo-neko'! It's just too cute to keep to myself. As for Yumi's personality-She is basically me! But don't we all just want to throw glitter on Akito? Haha! What a sight he would be:gives out cat-shaped onigiri:

Argh…I was hoping to get 2 more chapters up before midterms (January 24 through that next week). :sigh: But it seems that my efforts were in vain. Ohohoho! I have a feeling the Y/T fans are going to have a field day with this one! Gomen nasai, this one's a little short!

Chapter 2: Of Cats and Rats

Yuki sighed. It was only the first day of sanga-nichi and already he was sick of seeing and being at the main house. So far, he was lucky he hadn't seen Akito. Akito had been sick and deemed unfit to get out of bed. Yuki smiled a little. Not seeing Akito was definitely a good thing. Even better was that Tohru-kun was allowed to stay. '_How Shigure got them to let Tohru-kun stay here I'll never know…but I'm not complaining…She does make everything a lot happier._' he thought blushing, '_As a matter of fact, I think the only reason Akito isn't out and about is because Tohru-kun is here. It really doesn't matter, just as long as I don't have to deal with Akito alone._'

Tohru walked over to where Yuki was daydreaming and stood next to him saying, "Good morning, Sohma-kun! It's a little early for you to be up alone, don't you think?" Yuki snapped out of his daydream and flashed her a smile. "No, I like waking up early. The silence of the house gives me time to think. What are you doing up anyway?" Yuki asked. "Eh, same reason as you I guess! It's really nice to watch the sun come up every morning. I mean, we watch the sun disappear every night and yet it still comes back to give us light the next day without fail. I think it's pretty amazing." she said looking up at the last rays of pink and purple before the sun fully appeared in the sky. "Honda-san, you really do give a new meaning to way I look at things. You're right it is pretty amazing. Every morning I've been watching the sunrise and never thinking about whether or not it would come up again the next day." Yuki said giving her one of his most famous smiles. Tohru turned beet red from flattery and said, "Oh no! Really! It's nothing! Just the ramblings of a weird mind I guess! Heheheh…"

Yuki laughed saying, "No, Tohru-kun, with you it's genuine. Who told you that your mind was weird? I like the way you think Tohru-kun. It gives me a new meaning to everything." Tohru blushed again before staring out into the garden. "Isn't the garden pretty, Sohma-kun? It's too bad nothing is in bloom yet! It would be so much prettier during the spring!" Tohru exclaimed. Yuki looked at Tohru, who was still watching the garden, and whispered, "Yes, you are pretty." Tohru blinked and looked at Yuki. "Huh? Did you say something, Sohma-kun?" she asked. Yuki smiled warmly before kissing her ever so gently on the lips.

"So-Sohma-kun! I-I-I! Well! I mean I!" she was cut of by Yuki, who put a finger to her lips. "Listen for a second Tohru-kun. I suppose it's just been hard to say this but…I mean…well…I guess I really, really like you Tohru-kun. I don't know how else to say it." he said smiling. Tohru blushed and said, "Yuki-kun…I had no clue…I…I guess I really like you too." Yuki smiled a genuine smile before leaning over and kissing her again.

This of course was all too good to be true, and so, the antagonist must make an appearance. Therefore, as they kissed, who other than Akito could walk out. And he saw. The rage began to build up inside of him, almost blinding all of his senses. How could his Yuki-kun betray him like that, and for such a petty girl? He would not allow it. His Yuki-kun would not love this girl. Akito knew he had to find away to tear them apart. He wouldn't hurt Yuki, not as he had Hatori, for he liked Yuki far too much. It was decided. He would just have to break the girl. But how? How could he break someone so happy, so innocent, so disgustingly cute?

* * *

And for a dramatic effect, we move to our Neko: 

Kyo yawned for the fifth straight time. He knew it was early, but it was the only time he would have alone before every damn Sohma woke up. He liked the early morning; it added time to the day. He stretched and got up, a few kittens following after him. He turned around and faced them saying, "Why don't you damn cats go follow Yumi around or something. It's not like I do anything remotely exciting anyway." The cats looked up at Kyo with unblinking eyes and he slapped his forehead at his stupidity.

"Not in a talkative mood this morning are they?" a voice from the door said. Kyo turned around as Yumi popped her head in. "Morning, my little koneko! How are we this fine morning?" Yumi asked smiling. "Feh. Go find some cats to bother." Kyo grumbled. He always became annoyed when she came. She was just too damn happy. "Why I have! My little Kyo-neko is just the cat I wanted to bother!" she replied skipping into the room. "Don't look so glum," she added, "I'm not gonna kill you. Just wanted to ask ya something." Kyo blinked. She never asked him anything. The only times she ever wanted to even converse with him was when she came to the New Year's parties and when she was about to beat him into the ground. "What?" he asked suspiciously. Maybe she wanted a favor from him or something. You could never know when Yumi needed something. "I was wondering about that Tohru Honda. Tell me a little about her." Yumi said plopping herself on the floor. Kyo sat down too and replied, "Tohru-kun? Well she's really happy, and weird, and she has some strange tendencies. She's really clumsy and air headed and beautif—" Kyo stopped himself before he said something damaging. Yumi always remembered things like that. "Beautiful, huh? She's a pretty nice girl. Akito's probably got a beef with her already, you've got a crush on her, I'll bet Nezumi-kun's got a crush on her and she must be oblivious to all of this." Yumi said smirking evilly. Kyo flushed bright red before yelling at her, "What the hell do you know! You've only just met her!" Yumi smirked, happy that she hit a nerve.

"That's quite enough yelling, Kyo-neko."  
"Stop calling me Kyo-neko! It's stupid!"  
"But it's so cute!"  
"No it's stupid!"  
"I bet Tohru Honda-san thinks it's cute."  
"LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!"  
"Oh, my Kyo-neko, always easy to lose his temper."  
"If you would just keep your nose out of people's business, then maybe you wouldn't be collared!"

Yumi smirked casually but Kyo could see the bloodlust in her eyes. "Take that back Kyo-neko." She said smiling even more. "Not until you stop callin' me Kyo-neko." Kyo retorted angrily. "Take it back Kyo-neko before you get hurt." Yumi replied, her eye slightly twitching. "Never." Kyo growled. Yumi faked a smirk before slamming her fist into the floorboard Kyo was standing on, sending him flying. "TAKE IT BACK." Yumi growled, her eyes full of anger but her smile never faltering. "Go screw yourself!" Kyo yelled. "I didn't think I'd have to beat the sense into Kyo-neko." Yumi mumbled before punching Kyo square in the stomach. Kyo doubled over slightly but tried to show he wasn't in pain. '_How the hell does she stay so calm! THAT HURT LIKE HELL! Dammit!_' Kyo thought trying hard to stay focused. Yumi kicked him against the wall, pinning him there.

"Kyo-neko, learn who you're superiors are and follow them. Learn who your friends are and stick to them! I am not here to beat the crap outta you, or boss you around like Akito. I didn't ask to be your core like you didn't ask to be the Cat. So have some common sense and stop looking at is as if the whole world is against you. I know how much you hate me and Nezumi-kun and Akito and the Sohmas. I KNOW. Believe me. But you need to start associating yourself with everyone and stop being such a spoiled koneko! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, stop feeling sorry for me and get over it. And don't you ever blame me for the way Akito treats me! Don't!" Yumi yelled at him. She let him go and started to walk away; Kyo slumped against the wall to grasp what she had said.

'_I screwed up again…_'

* * *

Back to our Nezumi: 

It had been a half an hour since Tohru had excused herself from his presence to help anyone who needed help with something. That was Tohru-kun, always putting others before herself. Even though he had pleaded, whined and grumbled, she still walked away with that smile telling him she'd be back later. Yuki slapped himself mentally. He was already losing his mind over Tohru-kun and she hadn't even been gone that long. No, he couldn't get crazy over her yet-he still wasn't sure how much she liked him. '_She had seemed rather hesitant when I told her I liked her._' Yuki thought pensively.

He stared out into the garden once more and lost himself to thoughts about Tohru. It took him several minutes to realize who was standing next to him. Well, he wasn't really standing on his own-he was leaning against a wall for support, his breathing irregular and shallow from the forced effort. It was Akito. The same man he had feared all his childhood; the one who ruined dreams and lives all with one word. Anything he said went and that was the end of that.

Akito stared at Yuki, his eyes piercing into Yuki's soul. Yuki tried to conceal anything that would reveal his conversation with Tohru-kun-he knew how mad Akito would get. But the question was, would Akito hurt him? Akito had certainly hurt Yuki before, but not as severely as Hatori. Yuki almost had a stroke when he came to the realization that maybe Akito wouldn't hurt him, but Tohru. Akito had never said anything to Yuki about his hatred towards Tohru-kun, but it was evident that he hated her. Maybe Akito would go after Tohru-kun and hurt her. Yuki paled at the thought.

"Happy New Year, Yuki-kun. I'm so glad you decided to show up this year." Akito said calmly, but his words were drenched in venom. "Happy New Year, Akito-san." Yuki replied not remarking to what Akito had said. "Is that Tohru-kun enjoying her stay here?" Akito asked. The question was posed innocently enough, but Yuki knew better than that. "Yes she is." He replied gruffly, preparing to walk away. "That's good. I'd hoped she was. We don't usually have any outsiders come to our celebrations." Akito said, carrying on a conversation. "I swear, Akito, if you lay one hand on her I'll-" Yuki started to say, but stopped himself. He knew better than to challenge Akito's words. "You'll what, Yuki-kun? Kill me? Poison me? Run away and hide with your precious Tohru-kun? Don't you understand by now, Yuki-kun? That Tohru-kun is nothing to me. I could care less whether she lives or dies. But I won't sit here watching her adore you and Shigure and Kyo. I won't let her brainwash you and tamper with you. She thinks that she can break the curse! She thinks that she can just waltz in here, ensnare you in her poisonous trap and then waltz out unaffected! You think I'll let her get away with this! She won't take you away from me! Not now, not ever!" Akito yelled.

Yuki was stunned. Utterly paralyzed. So Akito had seen. Akito knew. Akito knew. He knew that Yuki loved Tohru-kun and he was jealous. So very jealous. There was no telling what Akito would do to her now. Yuki did the only thing he could do-he turned around and ran.

A/N:goes Megumi-like: Ohohoho! Quite the cliffhanger I do say. I was always one for the cliffhangers….Eh…dunno when I'll update next. I'm trying to speed write everything but my teachers are like "t3h 3v!L" (ph33r my 3L!t3 sk!LLz!) XD aw man I am a psycho. Eh I drew a picture of Yumi-chan a while back so I'll see if I can scan it and link it. It would ruin your imaginations thought…:frown: I guess just R&R and tell me if you'd like me to ruin you're imaginations…

**Gomen nasai**: "I'm sorry" …the more formal way would be "Sumimasen"

**Onigiri:** Rice balls!

**Sanga-nichi**: The three days after Chinese New Year.

**Koneko**: "Kitten" ..But literally "Little Cat" XD

Until next time! (maybe sometime soooon…)

-Yumi Hojima


End file.
